Handmade Christmas Candy Recipes

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads."

Yummy. Sugar-plums. Those sound good. Unfortunately, I can't tell you how to make sugar-plums. I'm not even really sure I would recognize a sugar plum if it was sitting in front of me. However, what I can do is share a few of my family's favorite homemade Christmas candy recipes with you. I have to admit though, as I hold the aged and typed (not printed, typewriter typed), yellowed 3" by 5" cards in my hand, that I'm a bit nervous and tickled at the same time.

Why? Because, these old candy recipes have been in my family for at least three generations. And well, the prospect of revealing them to everyone, absolutely everyone, who just happens to land on this particular article, makes me both excited and anxious at the same time. I mean, what if you like what you read, make them, and the two of us end up arriving for the same holiday party both carrying identical homemade Christmas candies under our arms? That's possible, right? Or, what if we show up at the exact same bake sale only to find that we have donated precisely the same Christmas goodies? It could happen, couldn't it? Or, even worse, what if we somehow choose the same veteran's center to donate Christmas candies too, only to get a call back about having brought in tins filled with virtually indistinguishable Christmas sweets? I mean, really, wouldn't you be mortified?

No, me neither.

So, in the spirit of Christmas, I pass along these homemade Christmas candy recipes to you in hopes that you and your family will enjoy them. And, that you will bring them to as many parties, bake sales and veteran's hospitals as you wish all without fear that the two of us will run into one another in the process. Heck, go ahead and even pass them down to your own children. But just so you're aware, in case we do meet carrying the exact same Christmas candies, that a mere moment of weakness on the part of this homemade candy-making fiend, by no means, can be interpreted as me giving up ownership - humbug - they're mine, you hear? Mine, I say!

Merry Christmas dears.

1. PULLED MINTS

Ingredients:

Sugar (3 cups)

Water (1 cup)

Light corn syrup (2 tablespoons)

Salt (1/4 teaspoon)

Oil of peppermint or spearmint (10 drops)

Confectioners' sugar (1 cup, sifted)

Cornstarch (1/2 cup)

Directions:

Combine the sugar, corn syrup, water and salt in a saucepan. Put over a low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Slowly bring to a boil. Cover. And allow to boil for approximately 3 minutes. Uncover the mixture, and continue to allow it to cook without stirring it. Test every minute to two for readiness by dropping a bit of the mixture into some cold water. It's ready if it forms into a very hard ball or you can use a candy thermometer and wait until the mixture reaches 256 degrees.

Once ready (hard ball stage), remove from heat and pour the mixture out on to a very large platter. Allow it to cool until it's easy to handle and yet still quite a bit warm to the touch. Work in the oil of peppermint or spearmint by pulling the mixture into long ropes and back again with your fingers until its light colored and glossy. (The glossier the better the mints will set up later.)

Finally, stretch the mixture into a long rope about ½ inch in diameter. Using scissors, cut into one inch pieces and place into a container filled with the mixture of confectioners' sugar and cornstarch. Let the pieces stand in a warm place overnight to allow the mints to mellow a bit. Then take them out of the container and put them in a strainer (and shake carefully) to remove the excess sugar mixture. Store in an airtight container until you are ready to pack them up in gift containers.

As an added touch, you can add green or red food coloring when you add in the oil of peppermint or spearmint but be careful when touching the food coloring. It can dye your hand quickly if you get it on you before it's mixed in a bit.

2. COCOA BALLS

Ingredients:

Butter (1/2 cup)

Cocoa (3 tablespoons)

Vanilla or Rum flavoring (1/2 teaspoon)

White sugar (2/3 cup)

Cold, very strongly brewed coffee (1 tablespoon)

Rolled oats, uncooked (1 ¾ cups)

Option: Colored sugar; red or green (1/4 cup)

Option: Pecans, chopped (1/4 cup)

Directions:

Pull out a cookie sheet and either coat with vegetable shortening or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Cream butter and sugar together. Add in the cocoa, coffee, flavoring and rolled oats. Chill mixture until cold then roll into 1" balls, then roll the balls into nuts or color sugar to coat. Place on to the cookie sheet and keep chilled until ready to pack or serve.

3. DIVINITY DROPS

Ingredients:

White sugar (2 cups)

Water (1/2 cup)

Light corn syrup (1/2 cup)

Salt (1/8 teaspoon)

Egg whites (from 2 eggs)

Vanilla (1/2 teaspoon)

Seedless raisins, chopped (1/4 cup)

Candied cherries, cherries (1/4 cup)

Instructions:

Take a cookie sheet and coat with either non-stick cooking spray or with vegetable shortening. Set aside. Combine sugar, water and syrup in a cooking pan. Slowly bring mixture to a boil stirring constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved. Continue to allow mixture to boil without stirring until it reaches the hard ball stage. You can tell if the mixture has reached the hard ball stage by either testing it every minute to two for readiness by dropping a bit of the mixture into some cold water and if it's ready the mixture will form a very hard ball in the water or by using a candy thermometer and wait until the mixture reaches 256 degrees.

While waiting for the mixture to reach 256 degrees (hard ball stage), beat the egg whites until stiff; once stiff, take the now ready hard ball syrup and slowly add it into the egg whites beating constantly. Beat the egg whites and syrup until the mixture loses its gloss. Then fold in vanilla and fruit (raisins and cherries). Once done, using a teaspoon, drop mixture into small balls onto the pre-coated cookie sheet. Allow to cool and enjoy!